As class-action lawsuits continue against major real estate brokerages for alleged telemarketing violations, firms of all sizes are under increasing pressure to strengthen their compliance practices. According to attorney Michele Shuster, a founding partner of Mac Murray and Shuster LLP, staying within the bounds of federal and state telemarketing laws isn’t just a legal necessity […]
What agents must know about telemarketing consent Read More »
The U.S. Conference of Mayors formally endorsed a bipartisan statement to support the Let America Build campaign — a housing policy initiative backed by Realtor.com — during the organization’s annual meeting in Tampa on Sunday. The resolution — introduced by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson — acknowledges the mounting housing affordability crisis, and it calls for
Mayors back Realtor.com’s campaign to address the housing crisis Read More »
The most recent National Mortgage Database (NMDB) Aggregate Statistics report from FHFA reveals the significant amount of home equity that American households possess. This should put an end to any discussions suggesting that the housing market is on the verge of a mass foreclosure crisis or that national home prices will crash like they did
Home equity cushions homeowners against economic shocks Read More »
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) on Monday issued a letter of support for the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA)’s white paper on LO compensation reform. CHLA‘s white paper, released last week, urged Congress to roll back the loan originator compensation rule to focus on its original purpose — a ban on yield
NAMB issues support for CHLA white paper on LO compensation Read More »
The world of real estate is constantly in flux, yet one thing remains true: Lead generation is one of the most important requirements for maintaining a successful real estate business. In today’s economy, with interest rates on mortgages stubbornly perched around 7% and dwindling inventory in most states, today’s agents must get creative to keep
15 real estate lead generation ideas (+ expert tips & tools) Read More »
Zillow is not buying Compass’s claims that its listing standards policy has or ever will cause “irreparable harm” to the nation’s top brokerage by sales volume. On Monday, the listing portal giant filed two letters in response to Compass’s motion for a preliminary injunction and its motion for expedited discovery. The responses come just a
Zillow fires back against Compass’s claims of ‘irreparable harm’ Read More »
As each year passes, social media usage continues to grow in the real estate world. According to the National Association of Realtors, 87% of real estate agents use Facebook and 62% use Instagram. Add to that the fact that millennials still make up the largest percentage of recent home buyers at 29%, and it’s in
31 Real Estate Social Media Post Ideas to Engage Your Audience Read More »
When the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) agreed to implement mandatory buyer representation agreements as part of its commission lawsuit settlement agreement, the trade group said it was in the name of increased transparency. It’s with this same goal in mind that Northwest MLS (NWMLS) said it chose to implement referral fee disclosures. “Northwest MLS
Are broker-to-broker referral fees next in the real estate hot seat? Read More »
Soaring home prices, limited inventory and elevated mortgage rates have exacerbated the housing affordability crisis in many housing markets when viewed in the context of household incomes, which have remained generally stagnant. In a new study, Zillow compiled related metrics to measure the affordability gap in terms of how much more income a household would
The five housing markets where homeownership is still affordable Read More »
April 3rd and 4th saw the average top tier 30yr fixed mortgage rates well into the “mid 6’s.” Many lenders were able to quote 6.5% at the time. Just a few days ago, we noted there was still a ways to go before breaking below those early April levels, but the past few days have
Mortgage Rates Take Another Step Toward April Lows Read More »